


a gentleman always pays

by words_unravel



Series: hs bingo prompt fills (2010 card) [11]
Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Community: hs_bingo, F/M, First Dates, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-08
Updated: 2010-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:26:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1401367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_unravel/pseuds/words_unravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[<i>prompt:</i> <span class="ljuser i-ljuser"></span><a class="i-ljuser-profile" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://hs-bingo.livejournal.com/"></a><b>hs_bingo</b> - first date]</p>
            </blockquote>





	a gentleman always pays

* * *

_[sophomore/junior year]_

  
" _Brendon_ ," Ryan hisses, pulling him back into the booth.

"What?" There's a brief glance toward Ryan before he's back to craning his neck around the seat.

Sighing, Ryan leans out a little, too. Spencer turns his head and they both jerk back into the booth.

"That was a close one," Brendon mumbles and takes a giant gulp of his coke. Ryan raises an eyebrow and Brendon sucks harder on his straw until it makes a horrible gurgling sound. Rolling his eyes, Ryan grabs the glass out of Brendon's hands and puts it on his side of the table.

"You are so annoying, fuck. And don't look at me like that; it doesn't work." Mostly. Ryan can feel himself wanting to slide the empty glass back over. It's so strange, like Brendon has a superpower, a stupid one that makes Ryan want to give him what he wants. It doesn't work on Spence, though. Spencer is like a wall of uncaring, best friend to Brendon's pouting face and sad dog eyes. Ryan would ask Spencer how he manages it, but that would only end in life-long mocking and Ryan knows Spencer's pretty damn good at that, too.

With another sigh, he carefully leans out far enough to see that Spencer's back is turned again. Haley's laughter rings across the restaurant and Ryan looks back in time to see Brendon's mouth turn down. It's gone fast, replaced by a wide grin when Brendon sees Ryan looking at him.

"He's doing good, isn't he?" Brendon shakes his head, continuing before Ryan can say anything, "Duh. Of course he is. Haley'd be stupid to not think Spencer's awesome."

Ryan opens his mouth, but gets cut off with, "Which she obviously does since, you know, she asked him out and all. I wonder if someone will ever ask me out."

Keeping his mouth closed, Ryan just waits it out. At least he won't get interrupted if he's not talking.

"Of course, they will! I, too, am awesome and therefore before long, everyone will want to date me. Bring me flowers, no–" Brendon's nose crinkles up and Ryan definitely doesn't think that it's adorable and that yes, someday Brendon _is_ going to be popular.

"–music. I'll make them bring me music. Lots and lots of music. Mix tapes! Mix tapes are a lost art. Right, Ross?"

But only in a million years since he can't actually _shut up_.

"Jesus, Brendon–"

"You should make me a mix tape, I think. We're practically on a date ourselves." Ryan chokes.

"What?!"

Brendon grins. "Yup, two of us. Dinner. Movie later." They'd planned to follow Spencer and Haley to the theater after this.

Ryan sputters, "But I'm not paying for both of us!"

Barking out a laugh, he snaps his mouth closed at Ryan's glare and quick glance around the booth. Voice lowered, Brendon says gleefully, "Nice to know what you're criteria are for dating, Ryan Ross."

Eyes narrowing, Ryan doesn't have a chance to say anything when his phone rings. Looking down he sees it's his girlfriend. Answering it, he smiles over at Brendon. "Hey, babe."

Brendon's face sours a little and Ryan glares. There's no love lost between Tarah and Brendon. He talks to for a few minutes, watching as Brendon pulls out his own phone. He sends out a text and a moment later, gets a response. Brendon grins and types something enthusiastically. Ryan's curious now.

He says goodbye, promising to meet her later that night and asks Brendon, "Who are you texting?"

"Spencer."

" _What_? Are you crazy?" Scowling, he leans out of the booth. Spencer and Haley are no longer at their table. Slumping back, he says, "You do realize that if Spencer catches us, he's going to kill us. Both of us. Slowly."

Brendon kind of blanches at that, but rallies quickly. "Spencer loves us. He'll totally only maim us. A little." He frowns. "Hopefully."

"Whatever. You know he hates being treated like a–"

A rap on the window of their booth interrupts them and they both turn to find Spencer standing there, Haley grinning widely beside him.

Spencer's eyebrow is arched and Ryan can hear Brendon swallow audibly. He grabs the glass at this elbow and raises it, taking a drink. Only it's Brendon's empty glass and it just makes that horrible, empty sound. He can feel his face flushing and Spencer just shakes his head, sliding a finger across his throat slowly, eyes narrowed.

Even from the other side of the glass, Ryan can hear Haley's peal of laughter. It catches Spencer's attention, too, and he turns his head to smile at her. She returns it, putting her arm through his and tugging him away. Haley smiles at them, waving as they step away. She says something to Spencer and he dips his head to answer. They disappear down the block and he doesn't look back again.

Ryan turns back toward Brendon, setting the glass down and letting out a sigh of relief. Brendon gives him a small smile, but Ryan watches his gaze flicker out the window one more time and the way his shoulders slump just a little.

He deliberately doesn't think about the frown on Brendon's face earlier, and he blatantly ignores the way his own stomach is a bit unsettled at the moment.

He does, however, pay for dinner.

 


End file.
